Douglas County’s health director said having a third COVID-19 vaccine means more shots can soon go to critical workers.Dr. Adi Pour said 12,200 new doses from all three manufacturers, including Pfizer, Moderna and the newly approved Johnson & Johnson, will arrive at county clinics throughout the week.That, she said, will allow the health department flexibility in vaccinating educators, license daycare workers and packing plant employees.Nebraska announced it would order 15,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week. Assuming the order is fully provided, Pour told Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday that the health department would receive 5,000 from that total and use them to specifically immunize teachers and school district employees.”We went back to our superintendents to really try to see if they would be interested in Johnson & Johnson for their educators and they said, ‘Yes,'” Pour said.During Monday’s Omaha Public Schools board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan said the district is connecting staff members who are interested in getting vaccine to the health department.”We conducted a survey back in December that indicated 80% of staff who responded intend to get the vaccination,” Logan said. “We are eager for staff to receive vaccinations. This will bring us another step closer to normalcy.”Knowing that, Pour said the Douglas County Health Department has set up two clinics for Saturday, Mar. 6. The two sites — Millard North High School and Omaha North High School — would cater to school district employees across the county from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.”(Educators) will only have to be injected once, and they are fully immunized 14 days after that shot,” Pour said. Pour also said partnering health centers are helping the effort to vaccinate other vulnerable, critical workers.At one point during Tuesday’s county board meeting, Pour said OneWorld has started connecting with interested meatpacking plants in South Omaha, while Charles Drew is reaching out to licensed day care workers in North Omaha.”We identified that there is a gap in opportunities for individuals that are licensed child care providers,” Charles Drew CEO Kenny McMorris said.McMorris said prioritizing older Nebraskans in the vaccine rollout is important. He also said he hopes once there’s enough supply, that more critical workers can find an appointment slot and give themselves the protection of the shot.”Those that are more forward-facing, that interact with our families and in many cases, interact with the broader community — it’s so important that we get those individuals that want to get vaccinated, get them vaccinated so we can start moving to some sense of normalcy,” McMorris said.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. —
Douglas County’s health director said having a third COVID-19 vaccine means more shots can soon go to critical workers.
Dr. Adi Pour said 12,200 new doses from all three manufacturers, including Pfizer, Moderna and the newly approved Johnson & Johnson, will arrive at county clinics throughout the week.
That, she said, will allow the health department flexibility in vaccinating educators, license daycare workers and packing plant employees.
Nebraska announced it would order 15,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.
Assuming the order is fully provided, Pour told Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday that the health department would receive 5,000 from that total and use them to specifically immunize teachers and school district employees.
“We went back to our superintendents to really try to see if they would be interested in Johnson & Johnson for their educators and they said, ‘Yes,'” Pour said.
During Monday’s Omaha Public Schools board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan said the district is connecting staff members who are interested in getting vaccine to the health department.
“We conducted a survey back in December that indicated 80% of staff who responded intend to get the vaccination,” Logan said. “We are eager for staff to receive vaccinations. This will bring us another step closer to normalcy.”
Knowing that, Pour said the Douglas County Health Department has set up two clinics for Saturday, Mar. 6. The two sites — Millard North High School and Omaha North High School — would cater to school district employees across the county from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“(Educators) will only have to be injected once, and they are fully immunized 14 days after that shot,” Pour said.
Pour also said partnering health centers are helping the effort to vaccinate other vulnerable, critical workers.
At one point during Tuesday’s county board meeting, Pour said OneWorld has started connecting with interested meatpacking plants in South Omaha, while Charles Drew is reaching out to licensed day care workers in North Omaha.
“We identified that there is a gap in opportunities for individuals that are licensed child care providers,” Charles Drew CEO Kenny McMorris said.
McMorris said prioritizing older Nebraskans in the vaccine rollout is important. He also said he hopes once there’s enough supply, that more critical workers can find an appointment slot and give themselves the protection of the shot.
“Those that are more forward-facing, that interact with our families and in many cases, interact with the broader community — it’s so important that we get those individuals that want to get vaccinated, get them vaccinated so we can start moving to some sense of normalcy,” McMorris said.